I want to create a happier world, plain and simple.

Hi! My name is Sara, and I am the founder of Stinkerpants. I'm a single mama, writer, and illustrator, and I love espresso, laughter, and viewing the glass as half full. I live just north of San Francisco with my sweet & sparkly daughter. I am eternally thankful for my life and the people in it.

About Stinkerpants

Stinkerpants' mission is to create products that empower little kids. That empowerment leads to more confidence, better behavior, happier kids, and happier parents.

In 2014, I launched the Stinkerpants you see today. In its previous life, this was the home of a business I spent six years building: I did custom drawings for weddings, children and families. Stinkerpants was featured in Style Me Pretty, Vanity Fair, Weddingbee and Martha Stewart Weddings.

These tools developed out of my own parenting research. I have no greater goal than raising a whole-hearted, confident, and emotionally intelligent child. If she has that, I trust that she will find her way and make the world a better place. The more I learned, the more I wanted to share with other, like-minded parents.

My Process

Each tool and magnet is a labor of love, from beginning to end. The initial offering was created after considering a variety of different family lifestyles – from parents who travel for work (my friend Caitlin) to kids with complicated custody arrangements (me).

Once I decide to create a new magnet, my daughter and I sit down for some good “coloring” time – her with paints or crayons, me with my pencil and paper. I sketch out various ideas for how to visually represent the idea in a way that a child can understand. For example, for “parents who travel,” I considered airplanes with a parent’s head next to them (weird), different colored airplanes (they didn’t look like airplanes anymore), a vintage suitcase (kids don't associate those with anything) and a few other ideas. I settled on a rolling suitcase because most kids recognize them and associate them with travel.

After I settle on a design, I illustrate the idea using pencil, then finalize it in pen. The drawing is scanned into my computer, then hand colored using my Wacom tablet and Photoshop.

When it’s done, it goes through a strict toddler approval process. Basically, I give my daughter the magnet and ask her what it is. If she has no idea, it fails. Below is an example of a failure. Can you tell what that is? It's supposed to be "wash your hands." My daughter's response? "BLUEBERRIES! I'm hungry."

Thank You

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for supporting me, my daughter, and our little business. I love to hear from you, so please connect with me. I'm on Facebook and Instagram (and Twitter, though I'm rarely on it anymore!).

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About Stinkerpants

Toddlers and preschoolers feel small in the world. They crave predictability and knowing what will happen, because it gives them a sense of control. The problem is, life happens TO toddlers - and most of the time, they have absolutely no idea what is going to happen next. Stinkerpants creates products that empower toddlers, and that empowerment leads to better behavior, happier kids, and happier parents.
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